Anglican Head Backs Some Islamic Rules; Williams Sees Social-Order Help

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Byline: Julia Duin, THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The archbishop of Canterbury called for applying Islamic Shariah law in Britain in certain instances, saying its use there "seems unavoidable" and may help maintain social order.

In an interview conducted Monday and broadcast yesterday by BBC Radio, Archbishop Rowan Williams, leader of the 77-million-member Anglican Communion, said "there is a place for finding what would be a constructive accommodation with some aspects of Muslim law as we already do with some kinds of aspects of other religious law" in the United Kingdom.

After Christianity, Islam is Britain's most common religion, numbering 1.6 million or nearly 3 …